Pune hospital's registration for organ transplants suspended

The registration of Ruby Hall Clinic for organ transplantation has been suspended for six months after health department concluded that the hospital did not scrutinise the documents of the donor and recipient.

Pune: Days after sending a show-cause notice to the city-based Ruby Hall Clinic over alleged malpractice during a kidney transplant procedure, the Maharashtra Health Department has suspended the hospital's registration for organ transplantation, its lawyer claimed.

A woman had allegedly posed as the wife of a patient so that he could undergo kidney transplant at the private-run hospital. After this came to light, the health department had issued a show-cause notice to the hospital and the latter had sent a reply.

"We have received a notice stating that our registration for organ transplantation is suspended for six months or until the report of the investigation committee comes," said advocate Manjusha Kulkarni, legal advisor of Ruby Hall Clinic. The action was "unfair" and the hospital will look for a legal remedy, she added.

As per the suspension notice, the health department concluded after going through the reply that the hospital did not scrutinise the documents of the donor and recipient such as Aadhaar cards, marriage certificate, age certificates and educational certificates carefully. Patients (organ recipients and donors) who are registered with the centre will be shifted to the nearest facility with their consent, it added.

"How come our registration is being suspended without concluding the probe? Police have also given a report that there were monetary transactions between the patient and the donor woman. The woman also admitted that she had given her kidney in return for money. In such a situation, how come we are being blamed," advocate Kulkarni asked.